Marijuana Delivery: Concerns and Policy Issues

There are obvious and notable advantages to having a system of cannabis delivery. These include keeping stoned drivers off the road in their quest for more weed. Also, making it easier for chronically ill and immobile medical patients to access their medicine. This will enable those who live in areas that do not allow retailers to get their hands on it.

Current Marijuana Delivery Laws

Despite the growing popularity of cannabis, the now widespread acceptance and legality of it, the growth of its commercial industry, in society, know that before you type “marijuana delivery near me” into your search bar, most counties and states are prohibiting the practice. This is because of some significant concerns, some with good intentions, and others not so much.

There are obvious and notable advantages to having a system of cannabis delivery. These include keeping stoned drivers off the road in their quest for more weed, making it easier for chronically ill and immobile medical patients to access their medicine, as well as enabling those who live in areas that do not allow retailers to get their hands on it somewhere else in the state.

Current Marijuana Delivery Laws

Some counties in California happily allow weed delivery. Oregon, Nevada, and Canada also have liberal delivery laws, albeit under heavy regulation. Delivery is, in many ways, itself an extension of legalization. All does is increase the accessibility of cannabis for more people, in effect opening the market to more consumers. Little reason exists to link delivery services with the economic and social costs of legalization. In fact, there is scant evidence that links delivery with any issues whatsoever.

Primary Policy Issues and Concerns

Despite the popular myths, nothing suggests that weed delivery will increase impaired drivers or violent crime, some common concerns. According to a paper review by the Reason Foundation, which analyzed the regulatory history of delivering alcohol and how this pertains to cannabis, there is extensive research available to help drive a positive discussion on public policy for each of these issues:

Age Certification

Some lawmakers argue that it is impossible to verify the age of a person buying goods online. However, consumers must register to purchase from a Los Angeles marijuana dispensary, for example, and the same applies online. You can prove your age with a state-issued I.D., passport, or driver’s license before entering an online delivery store, but it is not exactly foolproof. Kids can find ways to fool the system.

Driving Stoned

There is a huge fear that legalization increases the number of stoned drivers on the road. Although this is somewhat true in that society is laxer about it than it used to be. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, marijuana-related car accidents account for less than two percent of all cases, and currently, no reliable THC-testing method exists.

Violent Crime

The worry that marijuana delivery vehicles will become targets of violent crime, including robbery or assault, is a present danger. However, delivery services can take measures to increase their safety, which include not using any obvious signage, using different routes, changing drivers and cars, and even carrying concealed weapons. If banks would allow card services to weed companies, we could eliminate any need for drivers to carry cash altogether.

Regulatory Changes

Consistency becomes very challenging when cities and counties make their own laws and regulations, especially in the case of marijuana delivery, which would regulatory cross these lines. There is concern about how to regulate these services when delivery laws change from one city to the next. Of course, this does pose some issues, but there are solutions for creating consistency in local regulatory conflicts.

Imposter Potential

Unfortunately, moving the retail cannabis industry online will create opportunities that fraudsters will notice. It is not easy to regulate the internet and controlling, let alone stopping, the number of fake delivery services that exist is proving very difficult. However, it is not impossible. By creating a network of legalized, licensed delivery services, consumers can have direct access to the legal cannabis industry.

Federal Laws

Then, there is the issue of a federal prohibition of cannabis. It remains illegal at the national level. However, this is likely to change in the future, within the next year or two, especially since according to Lexology, the United States Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit recently ordered the Drug Enforcement Administration to reconsider its current scheduling of cannabis, and promptly too.

Visit a Los Angeles Marijuana Dispensary

Due to customer demand, people really do want weed delivery; states will have to negotiate a path forward for lawmakers to work with, such as improving supplier and delivery coordination or just declaring outright state supremacy on the policy. The other issue of taxes and regulations making black market sales cheaper also requires review.

However, allowing delivery will improve access for medical patients and recreational users alike, as well as gain a competitive edge over the black market without returning to the fabricated association of some link with social costs. However, until the issue of delivery overall settles in the future if you do search “marijuana delivery Los Angeles” on Google, just check the legitimacy of the company you use.